Apparatus for drawing off liquids



(No Model.) v

G. J. PORTER.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS. l No. 554,894. Patented Feb. 18,1896.

llill Y UNiTED l STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE J. PORTER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,894, dated February18, 1896.

Application filed March 4, 1895.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, GEORGE J. PORTER, of Medford in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing off Liquids, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for drawing oliquids, and has for its object, among other things, to provide meanswhereby upon the removal of the delivery-tube from the plug the valvewill be automatically locked.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction andrelative arrangement of parts fully described in the specification,clearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which likecharacters indicate like parts in all the figures wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of an apparatusmade in accordance with my invention, the lower portion thereof beingshown in vertical section. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the plugand the position of the flanges on the key and tube when the latter isinserted into the plug. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing theexterior cam-iianges and the interior lugs. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. l, looking in the direction ofthe arrow. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the position ofthe parts when the tube has been seated in the bushing and the valveturned. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively horizontal sectional views on theline 7 7 of Fig. l, showing the openings in the valve and diaphragm. InFig. 6 these openings are shown out of communication with each other. InFig. 7 these openings are shown as registered and forming a passage-wayinto the barrel or cask. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the plug andvalve, the plug being in section and the apertures in the plug and valveregistering as in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of theplug on the line 9 9 of Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the key. YFig. l1 is a horizontal sectional view on the line ll ll of Fig. l,showing the means for preventing the valve from being turned in thewrong direction Serial No. 540,407. (No model.)

when the tube is inserted, and before the tube is turned to lock it inposition.

In apparat us for drawing off beer and other liquids, as at presentconstructed, should the operator forget to turn the key before removingthe tube from the tap or plug, a large quantity of the liquid escapesand is lost before the valve can be closed. Experience has shown that itis not safe to rely upon the memory of the operator, and that someprovision should be made whereby the removal of the tube willautomatically close the valve. My invention accomplishes this end, andmakes it impossible to remove the tube without closing the valve.

f represents a tube of the conventional shape and proportions providednear its top with a pipe f communicating with the inte rior of saidtube, the pipe f being provided at its free end with screw-threads r inorder to couple the pipe with a hose or with another pipe that leads tothe vessel to be filled. The interior of this tube f is hollow, asshown. Mounted in this tube is a key e provided at its upper end with ahandle e and at its lower end with an enlargement r having a socket r2of a shape to it the stem of the valve hereinafter described. Astuffing-boxf2 is mounted upon the top of the tube f surrounding theshank of the key e. The lower part of the tube is provided with anexterior flange f3 and at its lower end on its exterior withcams f4. Apacking-ring or washer 0c is preferably mounted upon this tubeimmediately below the flange f3. The interior of this tube at its lowerend is provided with a lug r3 opposite one of the cams f4 arranged toengage similarly-disposed flanges r4 T5 upon the exterior of theenlargement r' of the key. The key can be turned in the tube, but is notdesigned to be Withdrawn except by removal of the stuffing-box.

a represents a tap or plug provided upon its exterior with screw-threadso.' for engaging the sides of the aperture or bung-hole of the cask orbarrel in which the tap or plug is to be secured. This plug is providedupon its exterior with a diaphragm d4, perforated, as at a5, to form apassage-way from the interior of the cask or receptacle to which theplug is attached. Formed in the center of this diaphragm is an apertured5 in which is mounted IOO the stem (Z2 of a valve (Z. This valve (Z isdiskshaped of a size to lit the interior bore of the plug, and providedwith holes CZ to register with the apertures in the diaphragm when thevalve is in a certain position. By turning the valve the unperforatedportion of the diaphragm will cover the openings in the valve, and theunperforated portion of the valve will cover the openings in thediaphragm, and so close communication to the interior el' the cask. Thevalve makes a ground joint against the diaphragm across the plug. Thevalve is forced into place by a strain er Z) provided with the usualapertures b and with exterior screw- `threads h2 at its upper end whichengage interior screw-threads Z13 at the lower end of the plug. Thestrainer should be screwed up against the valve tight enough so thatthelatter will not be displaced accidentally, but will only move whenpositively actuated through the medium of the key.

The tap or plug is provided on its upperend with interior segmentalcam-shaped flanges (is, leaving spaces (L7 not occupied by said lianges, and in which the cams f'1 on the tube can be inserted. The stem ofthe valve, as shown, has a reduced portion (Z3. This is provided uponits exterior with any desired arrangement of flan ges or grooves toengage correspondingly-shaped parts upon the interior of the key. I haveshown the stem of the valve provided with a projection (Z5, asimilarly-shaped groove (Z6 being formed upon the interior of the key. Ido not desire to limit myself to the particular shape or location ofthese registering parts. The object of having the construction justreferred to is to insure the tube and key being inserted into the plugin the same way each time. Until the correspending parts on the stem ofthe valve and the interior of the key register, the tube cannot bedropped into the plug.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: The stem of thevalve being in the position shown in Fig. il, for example, the tube withthe key is inserted into the plug, the cams f4 passing down through thespaces (t7 not occupied by the cam-shaped flanges (Z8. The interior ofthe flanges aS is formed to lit snugly the sides of the tube. As thetube is dropped into the plug, the corresponding parts of the key andvalve-stem will register and interlock. The tube is then given aquarter-turn in the direction of the arrow, (see Fig. 4,) the cams fengaging the cam-shaped flanges as and forcing the washer (1: firmlyagainst the plug, and thus sealing the parts together. This movement ofthe plug throws the projection r3 on the interior of the tube round tothe position shown in Fig. 5 and the cams f4 under the cam-shapedflanges (di. rlhe key is then turned in the same direction until theflange 'r4 on the exterior of the key strikes the lug r3. This movementof the key turns the valve and makes the apertures or openings ('Ztherein register with the openings a5 in the diaphragm a". When it isdesired to close the valve, the key is turned opposite to the directionindicated by the arrow, as shown. in Fig. 4, until the flange riopposite the flange r4 engages the lug r3 at the point indicated in Fig.5. Suppose, however, the operator had started to remove the tube withoutfirst turning the key. The lug r3 would engage the flange r4 on the key,and as the tube was turned to make the cams register with the spaces (L7the lug fr would be brought to the position shown in Fig. 4. Thismovement of the tube by means of the lug 'r3 and ilange r4 engaging willturn the key and valve back to the position shown in Fig. 4, and thusclose the valve. In this position the tube may be withdrawn from the tapor plug.

lt is to be observed that the cams f on the tube and the cam-shapedflanges (ZS on the plug have their butts or Wide ends in enga-gement ofnecessity when the tube is inserted. I/Vhen the tube is turned, the tipsof these parts engage. This arrangement prevents the tube being turnedin the wrong direetion-that is, in a direction opposite to thatindicated by the arrow in Fig. t-so that cach time the tube is insertedand turned the part r3 will occupy the position shown in Fig. 5;otherwise the turning of the tube to seat the same would open the valve.Of course this direction could be reversed. To prevent the valve frombeing opened after the tube is insorted, but before it is turned intoplace, I cut away a portion of the periphery of the valve (Z, as shownat (Z7, a distance equal to the travel of the valve to make the openingsregister. lVith this cut-away portion (Z7 engages a pin a9 in the plug.W'hen the valve is closed, these parts have the relative position shownin Fig. ll. Now the tube being insei-ted it is manifestly impossible toturn the valve in a direction opposite to that indicated bythe arrow.After the tube is turned to the position shown in Fig. the valve isprevented from bein g turned in the wrong direction both by the pin aand also by the lug r3 engaging the flange The engagement of the partsr3 and rf prevents movement of the valve in the wrong direction afterthe tube is seated, but would not prevent it before the tube is turned.To provide for this, I employ the construction referred to in Fig. 1l.

The amount of travel of the valve is unimportant. It may be providedwith two holes, as shown, or more, and may be given a quan ter of a turnto make the holes of the valve register with those in the diaphragm orit may be arranged to have less movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have invented an exceedinglysimple and el'- iicient form of apparatus for the purpose in hand-one inwhich it is impossible for the parts to be inserted unless thevalvc isclosed, one in which the tube must be turned in one direction each time,one in which the valve is prevented from movement in the wrong di- IOOIIC)

rection, and one in which the turning of .the tube to make the parts f4register with the spaces a7 insures the closing of the valve.

Having thus explained the nature of myinvention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved faucet comprising in its construction a plug, a valvemounted in said plug, a tube constructed and arranged to engage saidplug, a key mounted in said tube, coactin g means upon said key and tubewhereby turning of the tube for its removal will operate said key toclose said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An improved faucet comprising in its construction a plug, cam-shapedflanges upon said plug, a tube provided upon its exterior with camsarranged to engage said flanges, said parts being constructed andarranged to prevent the tube from being turned in the wron g direction,a valve mounted in said plug provided with means for preventing itsmovement in a wrong direction, a key mounted in said tube and engagingsaid valve, and coacting means between said tube and key whereby theturning of the tube to remove the same insures the closing of the valve,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. An improved faucet comprising in its construction a plug, a valvemounted in said plug, a tube constructed and arranged to engage saidplug, a key mounted in said tube, complemental interlocking parts formedon said key and valve, and a lug on the interior of said tube arrangedto engage flanges on the exterior of said key, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specication, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of February, A. D.1895. v

GEORGE J PORTER. Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, ROLLIN ABELL.

